Law
School
Classroom
to the
World Beyond
Part-time Evening (4 years)
Total credits in either program:
At least 83, including required courses in foundational areas, upper-level writing and professional skills, and elective courses.
J.D./M.S.W.
J.D./M.A. in International Political Economy and Development
Corporate Compliance
Fashion Law
Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law
International Business and Trade Law
International Dispute Resolution
International Law and Justice
U.S. Law Dual Concentration
Fashion Law
- Legal Writing & Research (3)
- Criminal Law (3)
- Contracts (4 or 5)*
- Property (4 or 5)*
- Torts (4 or 5)*
- Civil Procedure (4 or 5)*
- Constitutional Law (4)
- Legislation & Regulation (4)
- Legal Process & Quantitative Methods (1)
- Corporations
- Professional Responsibility
- Professional Skills
- Writing Requirement (prior to last semester)
Whether you want to work at a law firm or go in-house, this concentration will teach you the fundamentals needed to solve the business world’s most complex problems. Learn how laws governing business and finance impact the organization and operation of business, from small, locally owned enterprises to large, global corporations.
Obtain a solid, substantive grounding in both intellectual property and information law, and gain an understanding of how these fields shape the way art, inventions, and information are protected and transferred. Learn how to protect client interests in areas as diverse as law enforcement, print journalism, pharmaceuticals, and the arts.
In a globalized, interdependent world, you need a similarly comprehensive view of the law. This concentration, integrating three subfields of law, provides you pathways for legal practice in multilateral institutions, government agencies, NGOs, law firms, and private sector work involving international and transnational law.
This concentration will provide you the firm foundation needed to become a skilled litigator and creative problem solver. You will obtain the skills necessary to expertly resolve disputes both in and out of the courtroom.
Live Fordham Law’s motto “In the Service of Others” and discover a rewarding career path. This concentration prepares you to fight injustice and to help empower and advocate for disenfranchised individuals and communities. Relevant coursework will give you a solid base of knowledge in the field that shows employers you’re ready for a host of public interest positions or important careers in government.
Fordham’s evening program is #3 in the nation and #1 in New York. It gives working professionals and people with family obligations the opportunity to earn a law degree through a flexible program where classes are available in the evening, in condensed form, or on weekends and online.
Each year, librarians at the Maloney Library’s Reference Desk answer more than 2,000 research questions. Successful law students know that the library is the place to go to consult with legal information professionals committed to helping them do their best work.
With soaring windows overlooking the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Maloney Library elevates your learning and scholarship while grounding you in the life of New York City.
Laws—
and Change
Lives
- Community Economic Development
- Consumer Litigation
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Criminal Defense
- Entrepreneurial Law
- Family Advocacy
- Federal Litigation
- Federal Tax
- Immigrant Rights
- International Human Rights
- International Law and Development in Africa
- Legislative and Policy Advocacy
- Mediation
- Democracy and the Constitution
- Queens D.A. Prosecution
- Samuelson-Glushko Intellectual Property and Information Law
- Securities Litigation and Arbitration
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
- Catholic Charities
- United States Attorney’s Office: Civil and Criminal Divisions
- New York District Attorneys’ Offices
- New York State and Local Courts
- United States District Courts and Circuit Courts of Appeals
- United States Securities and Exchange Commission
- New York State Attorney General’s Office
- New York City Council
- New York City Law Department
- Housing Conservation Coordinators
- Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
- The Legal Aid Society
- New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)
- Legal Services of New York
- Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
- Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
- Sanctuary for Families
- Screen Actors Guild—American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG—AFTRA)
Pressing Influence
As part of the Robert L. Levine Distinguished Lecture Series sponsored by the Fordham Law Review, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg enthralled students with life- and career-spanning insights on her various roles as incisive legal scholar, accomplished Supreme Court litigator, distinguished judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and, of course, the second woman justice of the country’s highest court. Scenes from the event were later used in the hit documentary RBG.
- Fordham Law’s Cardozo BMI team walked away as national champions.
- Fordham Law’s Seton Hall team were national semifinalists.
- Fordham Law’s National team was a quarterfinalist in region 2.
- Fordham Law’s Wexler team earned a national quarterfinalist spot and a “best oralist” award.
- Fordham Law’s UCLA team made it to the quarterfinals.
Fordham Law’s trial advocacy program is ranked ninth in the country, according to the 2020 edition of U.S. News & World Report.
Fordham Law’s international programs put students face-to-face with overseas neighbors who need legal help. Students engage with global companies, collaborate with governmental agencies, participate in extensive human rights initiatives, and learn from distinguished foreign professors through study abroad programs from Dublin to Shanghai. Along the way, they garner internships with multinational corporations, law firms, courts, government offices, and major human rights organizations.
In its 2020 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools, U.S. News & World Report ranked a number of Fordham Law programs among the top 25 in the country.
Sponsored FellowshipsIn 2019, Fordham Law School awarded over $370,000 for summer public interest fellowships, making it possible for students to work for various government and nonprofit organizations.
In 2019, Fordham Law School awarded over $370,000 for summer public interest fellowships, making it possible for students to work for various government and nonprofit organizations.
With 27 PIRC student organizations to choose from, you’ll be able to find a cause that sparks your passion, satisfies your interests, and hones your legal skills. The class of 2019 participated in more than 150,000 hours of public service work during their time at Fordham. From your first week on, it’s possible to join—or form—a group and work for a cause that’s close to your heart.
- Advocates for the Incarcerated
- Advocates for Sexual Health and Rights
- Anti-Trafficking Legal Advocacy Society
- Artist Representation Society
- Consumer Law Advocates
- Domestic Violence Action Center
- Drug Policy Reform Group
- Education Law Collaborative
- Environmental Law Advocates
- Farm to Fordham
- Fordham Health Law Society
- Fordham Law Advocates for Voter Rights
- Fordham Law Defenders
- Habitat for Humanity at Fordham Law School
- Housing Advocacy Project
- If/When/How Lawyering for Reproductive Justice
- Immigration Advocacy Project
- International Refugee Assistance Project
- Mentoring Youth Through Legal Education
- Stein Scholars Program
- Student Animal Legal Defense Fund of Fordham Law School
- Students for the Education and Representation of Veterans
- Suspension Representation Project
- Unemployment Action Center
- Universal Justice
- Workers’ Rights Advocates
- Youth Law Advocacy Association
The nationally recognized program combines academic requirements—coursework focusing on legal ethics and public interest law—with nonacademic seminars to help you develop and enhance your leadership and communication skills.
During your first summer as a Stein Scholar, you are guaranteed a stipend to work with a public interest organization. During your second year, you enroll in seminars that challenge you to think critically about the role of lawyers in society. Perhaps most important, you will join a community of diverse leaders who mentor each other throughout their careers as they pursue work as public defenders, district attorneys, human rights advocates, and grassroots activists.
Offering students hands on training, Fordham Law’s trial advocacy program is ranked 9th in the country in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report rankings. Teams of students participate in civil and criminal trial competitions at regional and national levels.
A teaching and resource center devoted to European law, the European Union and international antitrust law, the center facilitates the exchange of ideas and information among foreign officials and scholars and their U.S. counterparts.
The Center on Law and Information Policy—known as CLIP—makes significant contributions to the development of law and policy for the information economy and prepares the next generation of leaders to address the fast-changing issues at the intersection of law and technology.
A nonpartisan law and policy think tank, the Center on National Security is dedicated to providing thought leaders, policy makers, and the public with the tools to better understand today’s national security issues.
The Center on Race, Law and Justice generates innovative responses to racial inequality and discrimination by prioritizing law, data, and social science–informed interventions that create concrete change in communities, institutions, and public policy.
Now in its 45th year, the Fordham Competition Law Institute provides internationally recognized programs on antitrust law, such as its annual International Antitrust Law and Policy Conference, widely recognized as one of the premier events in the field.
Offering unique opportunities for study in the field of alternative dispute resolution through renowned clinics and courses taught by leading academics, the Conflict Resolution and ADR Program balances theory and casework with a valuable practicum. Students also teach ADR and mediation skills in the NYC community.
The Fordham Corporate Law Center brings together scholars, professionals, policy makers, and students for the discussion and study of business and financial law.
The world’s first center dedicated to law and the business of fashion, the Institute offers training for the fashion lawyers and designers of the future.
The Feerick Center addresses the problems faced by marginalized and low-income people, creating strategies that reform policies, educate the public, and help redress injustice.
Through its courses, interfaith programs, panels, and mentorship, the Institute encourages open, positive, and constructive dialogue on issues relating to religion and law.
The Intellectual Property Institute develops new IP initiatives and projects and holds the annual Intellectual Property Law and Policy Conference, known as the “Davos of IP,” to foster progress toward identifying and resolving issues of concern to the IP community.
The Center’s mission is to find new and innovative ways to involve members of the judiciary in the life of Fordham Law and to strengthen and build upon our successes by enhancing the existing clerkship support for our students and alumni.
One of the oldest and largest law school–based human rights programs, the Leitner Center provides hands-on education and real-world training to law students and contributes to critical research among legal scholars in international human rights.
The Center uses cutting-edge data analytics to support reforms that create a meaningful opportunity for all people to be heard and to secure their rights.
The Fordham Neuroscience and Law Center takes an evidence-based and multidisciplinary approach to examining the current and potential uses of neuroscience evidence in the legal system.
The hub of public interest, PIRC offers programming and individualized career counseling for students drawn to public interest law. PIRC is the place where you can join and form student-run groups that channel passions, interests, and skills into pro bono, public service, and community service work.
The Stein Center examines the important role that lawyers play in our society, explores the ways ethical values inform and improve the legal profession, and inculcates service to others into teaching law, improving the legal profession in the process.
Through the Urban Law Center, students participate in advancing the scholarship and interdisciplinary practice of the legal, governance, and regulatory aspects of urban law, helping to craft solutions to the crucial issues facing cities today.
During your first year of law school, your schedule will contain special blocks of time for programming around career development, professionalism, and well-being. In our legal skills workshops, for instance, you will learn to read and brief cases, manage your responsibilities and time efficiently, and effectively take law school exams. In addition, all first-years are assigned an upper-level mentor from the Board of Student Advisors who will provide guidance and assist with your transition to being an attorney-in-training. The Office of Student Affairs also provides personal counseling.
If you are a law student with a documented disability, the office will provide support and reasonable accommodations. Additionally, during your upper-division years, we offer several programs designed to ensure that you pass the bar exam on your first attempt.
To foster the importance of the law school-life balance, the Office of Student Affairs works closely with student organizations in their programming, and offers weekly mindfulness and yoga classes, as well as social gatherings and occasional movie passes.
- Advocates for the Incarcerated (AFTI)
- Advocates for Sexual Health Rights
- American Constitutional Society (ACS)
- Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA)
- Artist Representation Society (ARS)
- Art Law Society (FALS)
- Anti-Trafficking Legal Advocacy Society (ATLAS)
- Black Law Students Association (BLSA)
- Committee on Diversity in Business Law (CDBL)
- Coalition of Concerned Students
- Consumer Law Advocates
- Drug Policy Reform Group
- Domestic Violence Action Center (DVAC)
- Education Law Collaborative
- Entrepreneur Law Society
- Environmental Law Advocates
- Farm to Fordham
- Fashion Law Society
- Federal Bar Association, Fordham Law Chapter
- Fordham Follies
- Fordham Blockchain Law Society
- Fordham Business and Law Society
- Fordham Compliance and Ethics Society
- Fordham Law China Society
- Fordham Christian Fellowship
- Fordham Cyber and Technology Society
- Fordham International Arbitration Association
- Fordham Health Law Society
- Fordham Information Law Society
- Fordham Law Advocates for Voter Rights (FLAVR)
- Fordham Law Defenders
- Fordham Law Food Society
- Fordham Law Historical Society (FLHS)
- Fordham Law Women
- Fordham S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science) Society
- Global Law Society
- Habitat for Humanity
- Housing Advocacy Project (HAP)
- Immigration Advocacy Project (IAP)
- International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)
- Jewish Law Student Association (JLSA)
- Irish Law Student Association
- Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA)
- If/When/How Lawyering for Reproductive Justice (LRJ)
- Legal Aid Society’s New Leadership Program Fordham Chapter
- Mental Health Society
- Media and Entertainment Law Society (MELS)
- Muslim Law Student Association (MLSA)
- Mentoring Youth Through Legal Education (MYLE)
- National Lawyers Guild
- National Security Association
- OUTLaws
- Phi Alpha Delta
- Press Law
- Universal Justice
- Fordham Law Real Estate Society
- Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF)
- Slavic Law Association of Vocal Students (SLAVS)
- Softball
- Sports Law Forum
- South Asian Law Student Association (SALSA)
- Fordham Law Student Veterans Association
- Suspension Representation Project (SRP)
- The Federalist Society
- Unemployment Action Center
- Workers’ Rights Advocates
- Youth Law
- Judicial Engagement: finding new and innovative ways to engage members of the judiciary in the life of our School
- Clerkships: strengthening and building upon our clerkship successes by enhancing the existing clerkship support for our students and alumni
Throughout the academic year, the CJEC partners with other Centers, faculty, and student organizations to host events with judges, including Jurists in Residence and Courts in Session. These engagements will enable students to gain firsthand exposure to federal and state court judges and the judicial process in both formal and informal settings.
The CJEC works collaboratively with the Faculty Clerkship Committee to provide clerkship applicants with an array of support and guidance—from strategic counseling to resume and cover letter critiques. Moreover, we work hard to keep you in the know—communicating regularly with you on all aspects of the clerkship process from application timing to process to substantive materials to interviewing. The CJEC also develops proprietary clerkship-related materials, programs, and resources.
The CJEC maintains regular and close contact with judges at the federal and state levels, developing and strengthening our relationships and students’ potential clerkship opportunities. Through the CJEC’s programs and resources, clerkship applicants can engage with alumni who are currently clerking or who have clerked in the past, tapping into the deep Fordham Law network of judges and clerks.
From 2014 to 2019, Fordham Law had 45 to 55 clerks at the state and federal levels every term, including 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th, and federal circuits, as well as the Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York and District of New Jersey, as well as NY, NJ, and other state levels.
Know Is
Who You’ll
Know
At Fordham Law, our network is deep and wide. People in our sphere make things happen—from judges administering justice, to big law partners advocating for clients; from lawyers crusading for the underserved, to entrepreneurs cultivating businesses. We nurture longterm relationships and support the members of our Fordham family throughout the journey.
Fordham Family
You Want:
The Network
Effect
Your Fordham Law degree is your gateway. To an exciting career. To a life of service. To melding your personal aspirations with your professional interests so you can shape the legal career that’s right for you. Our coordinated career support centers can help you define your professional path, develop faculty connections, and tap into Fordham Law’s alumni network.
Whether you want to lead in the law, business, politics, finance, government, public interest, academia, or another field, your Fordham Law education will help you get there, every step of the way.
Career Planning Center (CPC) counselors will work with you and provide the advice, support, resources, guidance, and tools you need to help:
- Determine your career path
- Explore opportunities
- Connect with employers
- Showcase your best professional self in the job search
During your first year at Fordham, you will have blocks of time integrated into your schedule devoted to programming around career development and professionalism.
All students will benefit from the CPC’s Professional Development Platform, which will guide you in its integrated approach to career development while you’re in law school and beyond, including career exploration and skills-based programming, small-group summer legal job search strategy sessions, a mock interview program, and more.
Not sure you want to pursue a career path in public service but dream of being a change agent? Fordham Law has a vast array of options. You can advocate for the disenfranchised as part of Fordham’s Housing Justice Initiative, making a difference for low-income tenants. Fight to change legislation and experience firsthand what commitment, knowledge, and the right resources can accomplish.
The PIRC-sponsored student groups, the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice, the Stein Center for Law and Ethics, the Access to Justice Initiative, and the Feerick Center for Social Justice represent just a few of the entry points for Fordham Law students who want to make a difference.
In the 2018–2019 academic year,
five graduates received prestigious public interest fellowships, including:
Skadden Fellowship
Immigrant Justice Corps Fellowship
New York State Excelsior Service Fellowship Program
James E. Tolan Human Rights Fellowship
In the 2018–2019 academic year,
five graduates received prestigious public interest fellowships, including:
Skadden Fellowship
Immigrant Justice Corps Fellowship
New York State Excelsior Service Fellowship Program
James E. Tolan Human Rights Fellowship
We welcome a wide variety of employers to our Lincoln Center Campus—large law firms like Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, corporations like Ernst & Young, financial institutions like Cain International, government agencies including the New York County District Attorney’s Office, and public interest/not-for-profits like Legal Aid and the Southern Poverty Law Center. These firms, companies, and organizations are interested in our students because of their reputation for excellence. Visit law.fordham.edu/employmentstats for more information.
If you are one of the many Fordham students interested in a career in public service or in the public interest, the Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC) coordinates Fordham Law’s participation in two of the largest public service career fairs in the country: the Equal Justice Works Career Fair (in the Washington, D.C., metro area) and the Public Interest Legal Career Fair (in New York City).
The CPC hosts a series of on-campus receptions, attended by 60 of the employers that participate in our fall On-Campus Recruiting Program. Attendees range from law firms and corporations to government agencies and public interest organizations. You are invited to attend these receptions, where you will be able to meet and mingle with attorneys and recruiting personnel—many of whom are Fordham Law alumni—in an informal setting.
Coordinated by PIRC and co-sponsored by
20 law schools, the Public Interest Legal Career Reception will introduce you to the outstanding and rewarding work done in public service with nonprofits, government agencies, and private/public interest law firms. Past participants (over 100) have included the ACLU, New York Civil Liberties Union, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York.
While you are a student, access to our online Job Bank allows you to search for and apply to listings for summer and term-time internships, and full-time employment postgraduation. The employers who post their hiring needs in our Job Bank include law firms of all sizes, government agencies, corporate legal departments, public interest organizations, and even courts. We are constantly engaged in employer outreach to expand our Job Bank.
Our alumni advance Fordham Law’s mission and reputation by engaging and collaborating with fellow alumni, students, and the wider Fordham Law community. Alumni resources and initiatives include:
The FLAA, one of the largest law school alumni associations in the country, engages students within the Fordham Law alumni network from day one. As a student, you automatically become a member of the FLAA and have access to its benefits.
The FLAA and Fordham Law’s mentorship and advising initiatives pair you with a diverse group of alumni of differing seniority levels, backgrounds, and experiences, in a variety of legal careers—all of whom are available to help students do everything from mastering the first year to acing interviews and getting an offer.
Fordham Law alumni can be found in 49 U.S. states as well as 80 countries worldwide. The FLAA currently has 31 national and international chapters, connecting you with Fordham Law alumni around the globe.
The FLAA has formed a series of 12 active affinity groups that provide forums for alumni to gather socially and network, including:
- Alumni Attorneys of Color
- Business and Financial Law
- Compliance
- Entrepreneurial Law
- Intellectual Property and Information Law
- International Law
- LGBTQ
- Litigation and Dispute Resolution
- Public Interest, Service and Government
- Solo/Small Firm
- Women’s Networking – D.C. Chapter
- Women’s Networking – NYC Chapter
Members are leaders in our alumni community who graduated within the past 10 years. They dedicate their time and talents to strengthening the mission of Fordham Law, hosting social events, service projects, and quarterly meetings.
This council, consisting of alumni in leadership roles at small to midsize firms, offers expertise and guidance to students choosing careers in small to midsize firm settings.
This council provides students with a structured program that delivers practical problem-solving opportunities to serve the strategic and legal needs of startup enterprises.
This council offers advice on how best to prepare for legal practice in public interest and public service positions, including legal knowledge, professional skills, and the ethos of service.
Professor
A.B., Oberlin; J.D., M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., Yale.
law.fordham.edu/markin
Cheryl G. Bader
Clinical Associate Professor
B.A., SUNY (Stony Brook); J.D., Hofstra; LL.M., Columbia.
law.fordham.edu/cbader
Aditi Bagchi
Professor
A.B., Harvard; MSc, Oxford; J.D., Yale.
law.fordham.edu/abagchi
T.J. Maloney Chair in Business Law; Director, Corporate Law Center
B.A., Sarah Lawrence College; J.D., Harvard.
law.fordham.edu/sgriffith
Hugh C. Hansen
Professor; Director, Intellectual Property Law Institute
A.B., Rutgers; J.D., Georgetown; LL.M., Yale.
law.fordham.edu/hhansen
Tanya Hernández
Archibald R. Murray Professor of Law; Associate Director, Center on Race, Law & Justice
A.B., Brown; J.D., Yale.
law.fordham.edu/thernandez
Professor
B.S.EE, M.S., Ohio State; J.D., Stanford.
law.fordham.edu/mpatterson
Kimani Paul-Emile
Professor; Associate Director, Center on Race, Law & Justice; Co-Director, Stein Center for Law and Ethics
A.B., Brown; J.D., Georgetown; Ph.D.,
New York University.
law.fordham.edu/kpaulemile
Russell G. Pearce
Edward and Marilyn Bellet Chair in Legal Ethics, Morality, and Religion; Co-Director, Stein Center for Law and Ethics
B.A., J.D., Yale.
law.fordham.edu/rpearce
How do I apply?
We strongly encourage you to use the Law School Admission Council service and apply electronically at lsac.org. You can request a paper application by contacting us via email (lawadmissions@fordham.edu) or by calling our office (212-636-6810).
When are applications accepted?
Our application opens on September 15 and closes on March 15. Please note that we are rolling admissions and review files as completed.
How much is the application fee?
The application processing fee is $70.
When can I expect to be notified about my application?
Fordham makes decisions on a rolling basis. The committee endeavors to notify applicants of decisions within six to eight weeks after the completion of the application. Applications received on or around University calendar breaks will take additional processing time.
What are the median LSAT and GPA for admitted students?
Our 2018 entering full-time students had a median LSAT of 164 and a GPA of 3.6. Our 2018 part-time students had a median LSAT of 161 and a GPA of 3.48.
Does Fordham offer applicant interviews?
No. Due to our large applicant pool, we are unable to offer evaluative interviews. However, the Office of Admissions has an open-door policy where applicants can stop in anytime during normal business hours to meet with an available Admissions Officer.
J.D. Admissions
4th Floor
212-636-6810
lawadmissions@fordham.edu
LL.M. Admissions
8th Floor
212-636-6883
llm@fordham.edu
Financial Aid
4th Floor
212-636-6815
lawfinaid@fordham.edu
Registrar
4th Floor
212-636-6800
registrar@fordham.edu
Student Affairs
4th Floor
212-636-7155
lawstudentaffairs@fordham.edu
Career Planning
Lower Level
212-636-6926
careers@law.fordham.edu
Alumni Relations
8th Floor
212-636-6806
lawalumni@fordham.edu
Clinical Legal Education
9th Floor
212-636-6934
clinicdesk@fordham.edu
Information Systems and Planning
Lower Level
212-636-6786
lawhelpdesk@fordham.edu
Public Interest Resource Center
Lower Level
212-636-6952
pirc@fordham.edu
International Programs and Study Abroad
8th Floor
212-636-7702
lawstudyabroad@fordham.edu